How to watch AFC Asian Cup live streams from anywhere: Free and paid options compared

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The eyes of the football world are once again on Qatar, from where you can watch AFC Asian Cup live streams of the tournament's 18th edition. With the group stage nearing its conclusion, the hosts and Iran have already secured their progress to the round of 16 with three wins from three. China and India have both crashed out of the competition, and there have been some surprising results to savor, such as Japan losing to Iraq and South Korea being held to a draw by Jordan.

In this guide, we'll explain the options for watching Asian Cup football in different parts of the world. Some really affordable live stream platforms are available, including Paramount Plus in the USA and Australia, and little-known Triller TV+ in the UK — both services offer free trials. Unfortunately, free broadcast options for the whole tournament are primarily unavailable, although the 10 Network and its free streaming service 10Play are at least showing all of Australia's games Down Under.

Once you've discovered the streaming service you'll need, there may be one further spanner thrown into the works. If you travel overseas, you'll soon find that your Asian Cup live streams will be interrupted due to geo-restrictions. That's certainly annoying, but far from insurmountable, as you can always use a VPN to get around the obstacle. Installing a VPN app onto your smartphone, laptop, or other streaming device allows you to spoof your IP address and make it seem like you're in a completely different country. Ultimately allowing you to access your usual AFC Asian Cup live streams, and other top-quality soccer and sport such as free AFCON live streams. See full details below on how to make that happen.

• See also: Free Champions League live streams | Free Australian Open live stream | NBA live stream

How to watch Asian Cup live streams from anywhere

It's certainly great news for globetrotting soccer fans that Asian Cup live streams will be shown on Paramount Plus in various countries around the world, such as Canada, Australia, and the USA and a number of its territories (e.g., Puerto Rico and Guam). It's a reasonably priced service that also has the benefit of a 7-day free trial. You might struggle to sign up without a local payment method, though.

Things get even trickier when you leave the borders and head to a country not served by Paramount Plus or another broadcaster with the rights to show Asian Cup live streams. You'll find that access to games is prohibited due to geo-restrictions. And it's not just a Paramount Plus issue — the same is true for the vast majority of streamers, such as UK football fans trying to watch Triller TV+ or Japanese wanting to tune into DAZN while overseas.

Fortunately, there's easy-to-use software available that can get you around this irritating issue. Downloading and installing one of the best VPNs serves two purposes. Firstly, it will keep you safer online while abroad using unfamiliar WiFi networks and insecure cellular data. Secondly, it can help spoof the IP address of your laptop, smartphone, tablet, or streaming device to fool it into thinking it's in another country altogether — namely, one where the streaming service you pay for is showing the event.

Provider ExpressVPN is our no. 1 recommended VPN right now. It has a tried and tested reputation for unblocking most major streaming services, and its super-fast connection speeds mean that having it on shouldn't cause your stream to buffer. It's also extremely secure, simple to use, and benefits from 24/7 live chat support. Subscribe to an ExpressVPN annual plan now and get a 49% discount, including three extra months for free. It's a fantastic option for Asian Cup live streams and beyond.

Plus, if you're not completely satisfied with ExpressVPN or simply don't need it anymore once the event is over, it's easy to cancel and get your money back thanks to its quibble-free 30-day guarantee. But with so many cheaper or free sports streaming options to choose from throughout the year, you might want to keep hold of it.

Given it's difficult to sign up for overseas Paramount+ without a local payment method, we'd instead look towards joining Triller+ in the UK, as detailed below, as that's a more VPN-friendly option for most.

How to watch the AFC Asian Cup with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN — ExpressVPN is our recommendation.
• Download it and install it on any required streaming devices.
• Select a UK server location.
• Go to Triller TV+
• Sign up for a free trial
• Watch Asian Cup soccer live.

How to watch the AFC Asian Cup in the USA and Canada

CBS's Paramount Plus streaming service is showing every single one of the AFC Asian Cup matches in North America. The usual cost is $5.99 a month or $59.99 for a whole year, but new customers can give it a try first with its free 1-week trial.

Selected games are also being shown on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. So, if you already have that as part of your cable package, we'd suggest checking your listings to see which games are being shown there.

How to watch the Asian Cup in the UK

Sky Sports dominates the live football scene in the UK, but it won't be showing the Asian Cup. Instead, Triller TV+ — which is better known for live combat sports — will be streaming every game.

You can get a 7-day free trial of Triller TV+ if you haven't used it before. Prices after that are listed in USD, costing $7.99 (approx. £6.30) a month and $69.99 (approx. £55) for a year.

How to watch Asian Cup live streams in Australia

Like in the US, Paramount Plus is the service you need to watch Asian Cup live streams in Australia. Subscriptions there cost from $9.99 a month.

If it's specifically Socceroos games that you're trying to see, it's possible to watch Asian Cup games featuring Australia absolutely free. They'll be shown on the 10 Network on TV and via its free-to-use 10Play streaming service and app. You'll need to set up an account to do so, but all that requires is your email address and away you go — free Asian Cup live streams!

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.